by the time matthew had died, the president of the united states know clinton had made statements urging passage of a hate crime bill that was stalled in congress. let me just say a tiny bit about the context. the attack on matthew shepard happened just four months after the dragging death of james bird junior in jasper texas so there was a hate crime bill that was stalled in congress at the time this attack on matthew happened here in laramie. i will go back to my arrival here. i arrived in the courthouse and asked to look at documents and you know reams of paper and egg files came out and i started to go through those records and take notes during this first trip. i was fortunate that day cal rerucha was walking around the county attorney's office and i had recognized him because i had seen them in the news stories and i just approached them and i said would you talk with me for a few minutes about the case? he agreed and i went into his office and we spoke that first day for about 45 minutes. it was very clear that he was sizing up my intentions not just them but in the months that fo